A synthetic diagnostics platform for microwave imaging diagnostics in tokamaks

Interpreting experimental diagnostics data in tokamaks,while considering non-ideal effects,is challenging due to the complexity of plasmas.To address this challenge,a general synthetic diagnostics(GSD)platform has been established that facilitates microwave imaging reflectometry and electron cyclotron emission imaging.This platform utilizes plasma profiles as input and incorporates the finite-difference time domain,ray tracing and the radiative transfer equation to calculate the propagation of plasma spontaneous radiation and the external electromagnetic field in plasmas.Benchmark tests for classical cases have been conducted to verify the accuracy of every core module in the GSD platform.Finally,2D imaging of a typical electron temperature distribution is reproduced by this platform and the results are consistent with the given real experimental data.This platform also has the potential to be extended to 3D electromagnetic field simulations and other microwave diagnostics such as cross-polarization scattering.

Exploring non-invasive diagnostics for metabolic dysfunctionassociated fatty liver disease

The population with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD)is increasingly common worldwide.Identification of people at risk of progression to advanced stages is necessary to timely offer interventions and appropriate care.Liver biopsy is currently considered the gold standard for the diagnosis and staging of MAFLD,but it has associated risks and limitations.This has spurred the exploration of non-invasive diagnostics for MAFLD,especially for steatohepatitis and fibrosis.These non-invasive approaches mostly include biomarkers and algorithms derived from anthropometric measurements,serum tests,imaging or stool metagenome profiling.However,they still need rigorous and widespread clinical validation for the diagnostic performance.

High-resolution x-ray monochromatic imaging for laser plasma diagnostics based on toroidal crystal

Monochromatic x-ray imaging is an essential method for plasma diagnostics related to density information.Large-field high-resolution monochromatic imaging of a He-like iron(Fe XXV)Kαcharacteristic line(6.701 keV)for laser plasma diagnostics was achieved using a developed toroidal crystal x-ray imager.A high-index crystal orientation Ge(531)wafer with a Bragg angle of 75.37°and the toroidal substrate were selected to obtain sufficient diffraction efficiency and compensate for astigmatism under oblique incidence.A precise offline assembly method of the toroidal crystal imager based on energy substitution was proposed,and a spatial resolution of 3-7μm was obtained by toroidal crystal imaging of a 600 line-pairs/inch Au grid within an object field of view larger than 1.0 mm.The toroidal crystal x-ray imager has been successfully tested via side-on backlight imaging experiments of the sinusoidal modulation target and a 1000 line-pairs/inch Au grid with a linewidth of 5μm using an online alignment method based on dual positioning balls to indicate the target and backlighter.This paper describes the optical design,adjustment method,and experimental results of a toroidal crystal system in a laboratory and laser facility.

Cavitation Diagnostics Based on Self-Tuning VMD for Fluid Machinery with Low-SNR Conditions

Variational mode decomposition(VMD)is a suitable tool for processing cavitation-induced vibration signals and is greatly affected by two parameters:the decomposed number K and penalty factorαunder strong noise interference.To solve this issue,this study proposed self-tuning VMD(SVMD)for cavitation diagnostics in fluid machinery,with a special focus on low signal-to-noise ratio conditions.A two-stage progressive refinement of the coarsely located target penalty factor for SVMD was conducted to narrow down the search space for accelerated decomposition.A hybrid optimized sparrow search algorithm(HOSSA)was developed for optimalαfine-tuning in a refined space based on fault-type-guided objective functions.Based on the submodes obtained using exclusive penalty factors in each iteration,the cavitation-related characteristic frequencies(CCFs)were extracted for diagnostics.The power spectrum correlation coefficient between the SVMD reconstruction and original signals was employed as a stop criterion to determine whether to stop further decomposition.The proposed SVMD overcomes the blindness of setting the mode number K in advance and the drawback of sharing penalty factors for all submodes in fixed-parameter and parameter-optimized VMDs.Comparisons with other existing methods in simulation signal decomposition and in-lab experimental data demonstrated the advantages of the proposed method in accurately extracting CCFs with lower computational cost.SVMD especially enhances the denoising capability of the VMD-based method.

Comparing simulated and experimental spectral line splitting in visible spectroscopy diagnostics in the HL-2A tokamak

We established the passive-visible spectroscopy diagnostics(P-VSD)and active-VSD(A-VSD)spectral splitting models for the HL-2A tokamak.Spectral splitting due to the influence of electromagnetic fields on the spectra in VSD is studied.Zeeman splitting induced by the magnetic field(B)is used to distinguish reflected light overlap in the divertor for P-VSD.Stark splitting caused by the Lorentz electric field(E_(Lorentz))from the neutral beam injection particle’s interaction with the magnetic field(V_(beam)×B)is used to measure the safety factor q profile for A-VSD.We give a comparison and error analysis by fitting the experimental spectra with the simulation results.The distinguishing of edge(scrape-off layer and divertor)hydrogen/deuterium spectral lines and the q profile derived from the spectra provides a reference for HL-2M VSD.

The advance of magnetic diagnostics system in support of EAST long-pulsed operation

In EAST long-pulsed discharge(hundreds of seconds),electric magnetic diagnosis(EMD)is very important,since EMD not only monitors tokamak security status but also provides accurate measurement accuracy for reconstruction of the plasma boundary.To avoid current measurement drift,a fiber optic current sensor,based on the Faraday effect,is developed and used for poloidal and plasma current feedback control for the first time,relative current measurement accuracy is within 0.5%.To ensure plasma boundary control accuracy,a detailed set of magnetic measurement calibration methods is developed before the plasma discharge.The maximum relative error is less than 1%,the corresponding control accuracy is within 1 cm.To minimize integrator drift error,a long-pulse integrator test is essential,the corresponding drift error needs to be subtracted in plasma control system.Besides,the saddle coil and Mirnov coil not only help to detect MHD issues,but are also utilized for plasma disruption prediction during the long-pulse discharge.

Diagnostics of laser-induced plasma on carbon-based polymer material using atomic and molecular emission spectra

Time-integrated optical emission analysis of laser-induced plasma on Teflon is presented.Plasma was induced under atmospheric pressure air using transversely excited atmospheric CO_(2) laser pulses.Teflon is a C-based polymer that is,among other things,interesting as a substrate for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy analysis of liquid samples.This study aimed to determine the optimal experimental conditions for obtaining neutral and ionized C spectral lines and C2 and CN molecular band emission suitable for spectrochemical purposes.Evaluation of plasma parameters was done using several spectroscopic techniques.Stark profiles of appropriate C ionic lines were used to determine electron number density.The ratio of the integral intensity of ionic-to-atomic C spectral lines was used to determine the ionization temperature.A spectral emission of C2 Swan and CN violet bands system was used to determine the temperature of the colder,peripheral parts of plasma.We critically analyzed the use of molecular emission bands as a tool for plasma diagnostics and suggested methods for possible improvements.

Current Problems of the Diagnostics and Treatment of Sepsis and Burn Injuries: The Modified Pathogenetic Concept

Background: The deep understanding of pathogenesis is a key moment in the formation of the modern strategy of modern medicine. We conducted the thorough analysis of the microscopic processes occurring in the bodies of patients with purulent-septic complications. The modified pathogenetic concept of the diagnostic and treatment model of diseases with septic complications is presented. The obtained information about the mechanisms of origin and development of these diseases is fundamentally important for finding the modern effective methods of treating patients. The aim of the research is to modify treatment tactics for patients with sepsis and burn injuries based on the modified pathogenetic concept using modern diagnostics, i.e. the method of fluorescence spectroscopy (MFS) and biomarkers. Materials and Methods: The proposed modified pathogenetic concept of the diagnostic and treatment model of diseases with purulent-septic complications along with standard methods was used successfully for effective treatment of 15 patients with sepsis and 25 with burn injuries. Results: 3 main scenarios of behaviour of spectral-fluorescence characteristics of patients with sepsis are illustrated. Spectral-fluorescence markers of sepsis were studied, which are informative 24 to 48 hours before the appearance of obvious clinical and laboratory signs of significant changes in the general somatic status of patients. Conclusions: The proposed diagnostic and therapeutic approach is new and fundamentally important for diagnostics and monitoring of the process of treatment of patients with purulent-septic diseases and burn injuries. An in-depth understanding of the dynamics of septic complications and the corresponding changes of the main markers of these diseases during treatment is especially relevant. The use of infusion therapy with solutions of donor albumin as an effective pathogenetic treatment is scientifically justified.

Review of current diagnostic methods and advances in Helicobacter pylori diagnostics in the era of next generation sequencing

Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection is highly prevalent in the human population and may lead to severe gastrointestinal pathology including gastric and duodenal ulcers,mucosa associated tissue lymphoma and gastric adenocarcinoma.In recent years,an alarming increase in antimicrobial resistance and subsequently failing empiric H.pylori eradication therapies have been noted worldwide,also in many European countries.Therefore,rapid and accurate determination of H.pylori’s antibiotic susceptibility prior to the administration of eradication regimens becomes ever more important.Traditionally,detection of H.pylori and its antimicrobial resistance is done by culture and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing that are cumbersome with a long turn-around-time.Recent advances in diagnostics provide new tools,like real-time polymerase chain reaction(PCR)and line probe assays,to diagnose H.pylori infection and antimicrobial resistance to certain antibiotics,directly from clinical specimens.Moreover,high-throughput whole genome sequencing technologies allow the rapid analysis of the pathogen’s genome,thereby allowing identification of resistance mutations and associated antibiotic resistance.In the first part of this review,we will give an overview on currently available diagnostic methods for detection of H.pylori and its drug resistance and their implementation in H.pylori management.The second part of the review focusses on the use of next generation sequencing technology in H.pylori research.To this end,we conducted a literature search for original research articles in English using the terms“Helicobacter”,“transcriptomic”,“transcriptome”,“next generation sequencing”and“whole genome sequencing”.This review is aimed to bridge the gap between current diagnostic practice(histology,rapid urease test,H.pylori culture,PCR and line probe assays)and new sequencing technologies and their potential implementation in diagnostic laboratory settings in order to complement the currently recommended H.pylori management guidelines and subsequently improve public health.

MicroRNAs in inflammatory bowel disease-pathogenesis,diagnostics and therapeutics

The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is complex and largely unknown. Until recently, research has focused on the study of protein regulators in inflammation to reveal the cellular and molecular networks in the pathogenesis of IBD. However, in the last few years, new and promising insights have been generated from studies describing an association between an altered expression of a specific class of non-coding RNAs, called microRNAs (miRs or miRNAs) and IBD. The short (approximately 22 nucleotides), endogenous, single-stranded RNAs are evolutionary conserved inanimals and plants, and regulate specific target mRNAs at the post-transcriptional level. MiRNAs are involved in several biological processes, including development, cell differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Furthermore, it is estimated that miRNAs may be responsible for regulating the expression of nearly one-third of the genes in the human genome. Thus, miRNA deregulation often results in an impaired cellular function, and a disturbance of downstream gene regulation and signaling cascades, suggesting their implication in disease etiology. Despite the identification of more than 1900 mature human miRNAs, very little is known about their biological functions and functional targets. Recent studies have identified dysregulated miRNAs in tissue samples of IBD patients and have demonstrated similar differences in circulating miRNAs in the serum of IBD patients. Thus, there is great promise that miRNAs will aid in the early diagnosis of IBD, and in the development of personalized therapies. Here, we provide a short review of the current state-of-the-art of miRNAs in IBD pathogenesis, diagnostics and therapeutics.

Current and future molecular diagnostics in colorectal cancer and colorectal adenoma

Colorectal cancer(CRC)is one of the most prevalent cancers in developed countries.On the other hand,CRC is also one of the most curable cancers if it is detected in early stages through regular colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy.Since CRC develops slowly from precancerous lesions,early detection can reduce both the incidence and mortality of the disease.Fecal occult blood test is a widely used non-invasive screening tool for CRC.Although fecal occult blood test is simple and cost-effective in screening CRC,there is room for improvement in terms of the accuracy of the test.Genetic dysregulations have been found to play an important role in CRC development.With better understanding of the molecular basis of CRC,there is a growing expectation on the development of diagnostic tests based on more sensitive and specific molecular markers and those tests may provide a breakthrough to the limitations of current screening tests for CRC.In this review,the molecular basis of CRC development,the characteristics and applications of different non-invasive molecular biomarkers,as well as the technologies available for the detection were discussed.This review intended to provide a summary on the current and future molecular diagnostics in CRC and its pre-malignant state,colorectal adenoma.

Companion diagnostics for the targeted therapy of gastric cancer

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common type ofcancer and represents a major cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. With recent biomedical advances in our understanding of the molecular characteristics of gastric cancer, many genetic alterations have been identified as potential targets for its treatment. Multiple novel agents are currently under development as the demand for active agents that improve the survival of gastric cancer patients constantly increases. Based on lessons from previous trials of targeted agents, it is now widely accepted that the establishment of an optimal diagnostic test to select molecularly defined patients is of equal importance to the development of active agents against targetable genetic alterations. Herein, we highlight the current status and future perspectives of companion diagnostics in the treatment of gastric cancer.

A Self-Powered Breath Analyzer Based on PANI/PVDF Piezo-Gas-Sensing Arrays for Potential Diagnostics Application

The increasing morbidity of internal diseases poses serious threats to human health and quality of life.Exhaled breath analysis is a noninvasive and convenient diagnostic method to improve the cure rate of patients. In this study, a self-powered breath analyzer based on polyaniline/polyvinylidene fluoride(PANI/PVDF) piezogas-sensing arrays has been developed for potential detection of several internal diseases. The device works by converting exhaled breath energy into piezoelectric gassensing signals without any external power sources. The five sensing units in the device have different sensitivities to various gas markers with concentrations ranging from 0 to 600 ppm. The working principle can be attributed to the coupling of the in-pipe gas-flow-induced piezoelectric effect of PVDF and gas-sensing properties of PANI electrodes. In addition, the device demonstrates its use as an ethanol analyzer to roughly mimic fatty liver diagnosis.This new approach can be applied to fabricating new exhaled breath analyzers and promoting the development of self-powered systems.

Biomarkers in schizophrenia:A focus on blood based diagnostics and theranostics

Identifying biomarkers that can be used as diagnostics or predictors of treatment response(theranostics) in people with schizophrenia(Sz) will be an important step towards being able to provide personalized treatment. Findings from the studies in brain tissue have not yet been translated into biomarkers that are practical in clinical use because brain biopsies are not acceptable and neuroimaging techniques are expensive and the results are inconclusive. Thus, in recent years, there has been search for blood-based biomarkers for Sz as a valid alternative. Although there are some encouraging preliminary data to support the notion of peripheral biomarkers for Sz, it must be acknowledged that Sz is a complex and heterogeneous disorder which needs to be further dissected into subtype using biological based and clinical markers. The scope of this review is to critically examine published blood-based biomarker of Sz, focusing on possible uses for diagnosis, treatment response, or their relationship with schizophreniaassociated phenotype. We sorted the studies into six categories which include:(1) brain-derived neurotrophic factor;(2) inflammation and immune function;(3) neurochemistry;(4) oxidative stress response and metabolism;(5) epigenetics and micro RNA; and(6) transcriptome and proteome studies. This review also summarized the molecules which have been conclusively reported as potential blood-based biomarkers for Sz in different blood cell types. Finally, we further discusses the pitfall of current blood-based studies and suggest that a prediction model-based, Sz specific, bloodoriented study design as well as standardize blood collection conditions would be useful for Sz biomarker development.

The Use of High-Performance Fatigue Mechanics and the Extended Kalman/Particle Filters,for Diagnostics and Prognostics of Aircraft Structures

In this paper,we propose an approach for diagnostics and prognostics of damaged aircraft structures,by combing high-performance fatigue mechanics with filtering theories.Fast&accurate deterministic analyses of fatigue crack propagations are carried out,by using the Finite Element Alternating Method(FEAM)for computing SIFs,and by using the newly developed Moving Least Squares(MLS)law for computing fatigue crack growth rates.Such algorithms for simulating fatigue crack propagations are embedded in the computer program Safe-Flaw,which is called upon as a subroutine within the probabilistic framework of filter theories.Both the extended Kalman as well as particle filters are applied in this study,to obtain the statistically optimal and semi-optimal estimates of crack lengths,from a series of noisy measurements of crack-lengths over time.For the specific problem,a simple modification to the particle filter,which can drastically reduce the computational burden,is also proposed.Based on the results of such diagnostic analyses,the prognostics of aerospace structures are thereafter achieved,to estimate the probabilistic distribution of the remaining useful life.By using a simple example of a single-crack near a fastener hole,we demonstrate the concept and effectiveness of the proposed framework.This paper thus forms the scientific foundation for the recently proposed concepts of VRAMS(Virtual Risk-Informed Agile Maneuver Sustainment)and Digital Twins of aerospace vehicles.

Special Issue on Machine Fault Diagnostics and Prognostics

Machine components and systems, such as gears, bearings, pipes, cutting tools and turbines, may experience various types of faults, such as breakage, crack, pitting, wear, corrosion. If not being properly monitored and treated, such faults can propagate and lead to machinery perfor- mance degradation, malfunction, or even severe compo- nent/system failure. It is significant to reliably detect machinery defects, evaluate their severity, predict the fault propagation trends, and schedule optimized maintenance and inspection activities to prevent unexpected failures. Advances in these areas will support ensuring equipment and production reliability, safety, quality and productivity.

Next-Generation Intelligent MXene-Based Electrochemical Aptasensors for Point-of-Care Cancer Diagnostics

Delayed diagnosis of cancer using conventional diagnostic modalities needs to be addressed to reduce the mortality rate of cancer.Recently,2 D nanomaterial-enabled advanced biosensors have shown potential towards the early diagnosis of cancer.The high surface area,surface functional groups availability,and excellent electrical conductivity of MXene make it the 2 D material of choice for the fabrication of advanced electrochemical biosensors for disease diagnostics.MXene-enabled electrochemical aptasensors have shown great promise for the detection of cancer biomarkers with a femtomolar limit of detection.Additionally,the stability,ease of synthesis,good reproducibility,and high specificity offered by MXene-enabled aptasensors hold promise to be the mainstream diagnostic approach.In this review,the design and fabrication of MXene-based electrochemical aptasensors for the detection of cancer biomarkers have been discussed.Besides,various synthetic processes and useful properties of MXenes which can be tuned and optimized easily and efficiently to fabricate sensitive biosensors have been elucidated.Further,futuristic sensing applications along with challenges will be deliberated herein.

Smartphone-based cytometric biosensors for point-of-care cellular diagnostics

Analysis on a single-cell basis is both fundamental and meaningful in biomedical research and clinical practice.Flow cytometry is one of the most popular approaches in this field with broad applications in cell sorting,counting,and identification of rare cells.However,the complicated design and bulky size of conventional flow cytometry have restricted their applications mainly in centralized laboratories.With the recent development of smartphone devices,smartphone-based cytometry has been explored and tested for single-cell analysis.Compared with traditional cytometers,smartphone-based cytometric biosensors are more suitable for point-of-care(POC)uses,such as on-site disease diagnosis and personal health monitoring.In this review article,the history of traditional flowcytometry is introduced,and advances of smartphone-enabled cytometry are summarized in detail based on different working principles.Representative POC applications of smartphone cytometers are also discussed.The achievements demonstrated so far illustrate the potential of smartphone-based cytometric devices to transform single-cell measurement in general,with a significant impact in POC diagnostics,preventive medicine,and cell biology.

Progress of microwave diagnostics development on the HL-2A tokamak

Sets of powerful microwave diagnostic systems have been developed on the HL-2 A tokamak,including 18 subsystems with high spatial and temporal resolutions.These systems have been applied in the HL-2 A tokamak experiments to investigate the core plasma transport,turbulence,MHD,energetic particle physics and so on.In this paper,the microwave diagnostics and their applications are reviewed.Some new technologies,including GHz sampling digital correlation electron cyclotron emission（DCECE）,multi-channel correlation reflectometers,and solid state terahertz interferometers,are also presented in the paper.

A Novel Multi-sensor Data Fusion Algorithm and Its Application to Diagnostics

To Meet the requirements of multi-sensor data fusion in diagnosis for complex equipment systems,a novel, fuzzy similarity-based data fusion algorithm is given. Based on fuzzy set theory, it calculates the fuzzy similarity among a certain sensor's measurement values and the multiple sensor's objective prediction values to determine the importance weigh of each sensor,and realizes the multi-sensor diagnosis parameter data fusion.According to the principle, its application software is also designed. The applied example proves that the algorithm can give priority to the high-stability and high -reliability sensors and it is laconic ,feasible and efficient to real-time circumstance measure and data processing in engine diagnosis.